20 Georgia The Bulldogs are back in the SEC hunt, but uncertainty at quarterback could take the bite out of their resurgence

Two days before his team's game against Mississippi State lastOctober, second-year Georgia coach Jim Donnan climbed aboard asteamroller and drove it across the Bulldogs' practice field.What the gesture lacked in subtlety it made up for ineffectiveness: That Saturday the Dawgs rolled over MississippiState 47-0 for their first conference shutout in 15 years.

That talent will come in handy because Donnan has another toughact to follow: last year's surprising 10-2 finish, Georgia'sbest since 1992. In the wake of the departures of Mike Bobo, theBulldogs' second alltime leading passer; Hines Ward, thesecond-leading receiver in school history; and running backRobert Edwards, who rushed for 1,708 yards and 21 touchdownsover the last two years, can the Bulldogs remain contenders forthe SEC crown?

Replacing Bobo is the first priority. Among the five playersvying for the starting job--none of whom has thrown more thanseven passes in his Georgia career--there were no clearfront-runners as of late August, only intriguing story lines.Daniel Cobb, a redshirt freshman, was recently cleared to startthrowing after undergoing surgery in February to correct acirculatory problem that had caused clotting in his right(throwing) shoulder. Also in the mix is newcomer Quincy Carter,a top high school quarterback who signed a letter of intent withGeorgia Tech two years ago but never enrolled, opting instead topursue a professional baseball career after he was drafted bythe Chicago Cubs in the spring of 1996.

Whoever steps into the pocket can count on two things: plenty ofhelp from the running backs and superb protection up front.Though Edwards received most of the playing time in '97, backupsOlandis Gary and Patrick Pass combined for 613 yards on theground. Gary, a senior, and Pass, a junior, will run behind theformidable tackle duo of the 6'6", 291-pound Stinchcomb, wholast year was named first-team All-America and first-teamAcademic All-America, and 6'5", 285-pound senior Chris Terry.

The defense has a few things to brag about as well, includingthe eight lettermen who form the deepest Georgia line since theearly '80s, and triple-threat junior cornerback Champ Bailey. Inaddition to being the Bulldogs' best defensive back sincetwo-time All-America Terry Hoage graduated in 1983, Baileyaveraged 22.7 yards per kickoff return and caught 12 passes for234 yards last year. He also placed second in the SEC in thelong jump this spring with a leap of 25'8 3/4". "Champ is thebest pure athlete I've ever been around," says Donnan, who willexpand Bailey's offensive role this fall. "He is a CharlesWoodson type who can--and will--do everything."

There will be another Bailey in Athens this fall. AmongGeorgia's seven new linebackers is the highly touted BossBailey, a 6'4", 220-pound true freshman, whom older brotherChamp calls "the real athlete of the family." Another member ofDonnan's recruiting class, which has been widely praised as oneof the country's top five, is Stinchcomb's brother Jon, a ParadeAll-America offensive lineman.

Tough acts to follow? Absolutely. But not as difficult as theone Donnan has to follow this fall. --K.A.

Left tackle Matt Stinchcomb is a strong candidate to become thefirst Georgia player to win the Outland Trophy since BillStanfill in 1968.... All-SEC cornerback and part-time receiverChamp Bailey may be the Dawgs' best athlete since HerschelWalker.... Junior placekicker Hap Hines converted only seven of12 field goal attempts last year. He will be pushed by sophomoreChad Holleman.